Marthinus Basson’s epic South African adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic Macbeth, macbeth.slapeloos, featuring a star-studded cast, will be performed in Afrikaans with English surtitiles, at the Baxter Theatre for three weeks only, from 4 to 21 February at 7.30pm nightly. This is the final production in the Baxter’s highly successful Afrikaans season, supported by kykNET.
Three of the doyennes of Afrikaans theatre - Anna-Mart van der Merwe, Jana Cilliers and Antoinette Kellermann star with Dawid Minnaar in the title role. The rest of the ensemble comprises Stian Bam, Charlton George, Ludwig Binge, Edwin van der Walt and Senzo Madikane. The production is designed and directed by Basson, with a translation by Eitemal. Hugo Theart produces macbeth.slapeloos with lighting design by Albert Snyman and choreography by Estelle Olivier.
The play is presented by TEATERteater, widely regarded as one of the most prolific independent South African theatre companies, which, in recent years, has also produced award-winning productions such as Die kortstondige raklewe van Anastasia W, As die Broek Pas, Op Dees Aarde and Klaasvakie.
macbeth.slapeloos has already amassed nine awards and several nominations at various festivals which include the Clover Aardklop National Arts Festival, the kykNET Fiesta Theatre Awards and the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival (KKNK). It received awards for best actor (Dawid Minnaar), best actress (Anna-Mart van der Merwe), best supporting actor (Charlton George), best director, best design and best production, amongst others. In 2014 it played to great acclaim at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown.
Nigel Vermaas for the National Arts Festival, Grahamstown daily Cue said, “It is brilliant theatre … a dream production” and Christina Kennedy for Business Day agreed, saying “The cream of the crop was Marthinus Basson’s exceptional rendering of ‘the Scottish play’ … it illuminated the beauty of Shakespeare’s prose.” Johan Myburg for Beeld described it as a “powerful production and feather in the cap for director Basson”. Diane de Beer from The Star Tonight went further by saying, “Those of us who witnessed what this wise wizard of magical storytelling pulled out of his hat, again, feel blessed.”
The production was originally commissioned by Clover Aardklop in celebration of director and designer Marthinus Basson’s contribution to South African theatre.
“Macbeth is considered to be William Shakespeare's darkest and most riveting tragedy and the title character certainly one of his most compelling and complex characters,’ explains Basson. “This adaptation, with Eitemal’s superb Afrikaans translation as a basis, explores the effect of guilt, fevered dream and insomnia on two individuals who, through ambition and a lust for power, lose track of a boundary in their relationship and within themselves.’
He continues, “The lapse of Macbeth and his wife into arrogance and tyranny becomes a passage through madness and death. It’s a journey repeatedly undertaken through the history of mankind, most recently in Romania, Libya and Syria.”
Performed in Afrikaans with English surtitles, macbeth.slapeloos previews on 4 and 5 February, opens on 6 and runs until 21 February at 7.30pm (except on 9 February) with a matinee at 11am on 12 February and one at 2pm on 14 February. Tickets are R120 throughout. There is an age restriction of 14 years.
Booking for macbeth.slapeloos is through Computicket on 0861 915 8000, online at www.computicket.com. or at any Shoprite Checkers outlet. For discounted corporate, schools or block-bookings, charities or fundraisers, email sharon.ward@uct.ac.za or carmen.kearns@uct.ac.za.